Pakistan’s over-50s cricket team will miss the International Masters Cricket World Cup in India after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) denied permission for the team to travel.
The tournament is scheduled for January 2027, preventing Pakistan from defending the title it won in Sri Lanka last year. The Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) has informed the organisers about its withdrawal, allowing them to arrange a replacement team. PVCA chief Fawad Ijaz confirmed the decision on Wednesday and said the PCB had refused to approve the team’s participation. Ijaz explained that the tournament organisers and Indian hosts had assured the association that Pakistani players would receive visas and adequate security during their stay.
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PCB Denies Pakistan Veterans Permission to Play in India
Following these assurances, the PVCA approached the PCB and Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministries to request permission for the team to participate. However, Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chairman, reportedly told the association that the team could not travel to India. Ijaz confirmed that the PVCA had notified the organisers of its withdrawal, giving them time to select a replacement team. Pakistan’s withdrawal will prevent the defending champions from competing to retain their title in the upcoming tournament.
The decision follows a similar move by the Pakistan Hockey Federation, which recently refused to travel to India for the Asian Champions Trophy. Bangladesh subsequently replaced Pakistan in the competition. Political tensions between India and Pakistan continue to affect sporting arrangements between the neighbouring countries. Their senior men’s cricket teams now compete in multi-nation tournaments rather than bilateral series, with organisers scheduling their matches at neutral venues. Pakistan’s withdrawal from the veterans’ competition marks another instance of strained relations affecting sporting participation between the two countries. Tournament organisers must now select a replacement team to complete the competition lineup.
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